Cheltenham Friday report: Jango Baie too slick for Caldwell Potter

Jango Baie made a superb start to his chasing career with a slick victory in the SSS Super Alloys Novices’ Chase at Cheltenham.

Nicky Henderson’s five-year-old bay was a Grade One novice winner over hurdles, with a second-placed point-to-point run further back on his record.

He returned to jumping larger obstacles under rules in the hands of Nico de Boinville at 7-4, with much of the attention on the Paul Nicholls-trained Caldwell Potter, who was sent off the 11-10 favourite.

The latter was at the head of affairs, but Jango Baie had very close tabs on him all the way around and when the field turned for home it was Henderson’s contender who was able to kick on to an impressive win, as Springwell Bay took second and €740,000 purchase Caldwell Potter finished third.

Henderson said: "I always think it's a big test for a novice to come here first time over fences and I don't like doing it.

"I was going to go to Aintree last Saturday for a three-horse race, but that was off and I was forced into coming here. My rule is not to come here first time, but this fellow is very clever.

"Nico asked him some proper questions for a baby and he got some proper answers as well. For not the biggest horse in the world he's got a lot of scope.

"He certainly wasn't stopping at the end there over two-and-a-half (miles), he galloped right out. He looks a stayer.

"The owner has got Jingko Blue, who put up a smart performance at Uttoxeter a couple of days ago, as well. We are lucky we've got some nice novice chasers this year, so we've got to see who is two miles and who is three now there's no two and a half (at the Festival). They're high-class problems."

King Turgeon bagged his second big prize of the season when rallying gamely in the Sonic The Hedgehog 3 Coming Soon Handicap Chase at Cheltenham.

The David Pipe-trained grey already had a victory over the Grand National fences to his name this season in the Grand Sefton.

Just like at Aintree, Jack Tudor made most of the running but with three furlongs to go he was headed, this time by both Our Power and the favourite, Chianti Classico.

It was Kim Bailey’s Festival winner who led into the straight under his new jockey Ciaran Gethings, but Our Power was pestering him and a few lengths down Tudor had pulled King Turgeon (9-4) wide for another crack.

He began to stay on powerfully up the hill and he ended up running out a convincing three-length winner, with Our Power edging top-weight Chianti Classico for second.

Connections of the winner may not now be too concerned that their initial target, the Becher Chase at Aintree last weekend, was abandoned due to Storm Darragh.

Paddy Power and Betfair cut the winner to 33-1 from 50s for the Grand National.

CountryMile looked a smart prospect for the Skeltons as he relished getting back on some decent ground when denting some big reputations in the British EBF "National Hunt" Novices' Hurdle.

The five-year-old finished second to Jonjo and AJ O'Neill's Roadlesstravelled at Haydock on Betfair Chase day in the mud, but looked a completely different prospect on a quicker surface.

Settled well of the pace by Harry Skelton, the Sam Thomas-trained Palacio set a strong early gallop while all eyes were on Nicky Henderson's French recruit That's Nice and Gordon Elliott's Wingmen, who dominated the market.

However, when that pair closed in on the leader, Skelton was still sat motionless on Country Mile (5-1).

That's Nice found disappointingly little, leaving Wingmen in front but Country Mile was galloping all over him, with his jockey motionless as he sauntered to a seven-and-a-half-length win.

Delighted trainer Dan Skelton said: "It was a surprise to see him win like that really. They obviously went quite hard and he's loads of ability, hasn't he?

"He jumped a lot better today. He didn't jump all that well at Haydock and I think the ground really got to the bottom of him that day as well.

"We knew he had ability, but I thought if he was ever going to win a race of deep quality he'd do it hard. I didn't think he'd saunter round like that, but they went so quick in front.

"I don't know what we'll do with him now, we'll see what the handicapper does."

Keith Donoghue produced Stumptown with a perfectly timed run and then held off the late thrust of Mister Coffey to add yet another victory over the Cross Country fences at Cheltenham.

Donoghue has won four of the last six versions of the Glenfarclas-sponsored race at the Festival in March after three triumphs on Tiger Roll and last season’s victory on Delta Work.

Stumptown, trained by Cheltenham regular Gavin Cromwell, was sent off the 4-1 favourite having bounced back to form with two wins over the Punchestown banks course of late.

In true Donoghue style, he was ridden quietly early on but he still had plenty of ground to make up when last year’s winner Latenightpass joined Escaria Ten before the turn for home.

He was travelling ominously well, though, and on the run to the last obstacle breezed in between the two, looking sure to coast home.

However, Nico de Boinville conjured up a late thrust from Mister Coffey, also second over the fences in November, and Donoghue had to briefly ride his mount out to win by a length.

Cromwell said: “You’d have to be delighted with that and Vanillier (ninth) ran well too.

“Stumptown absolutely loves it and it’s obviously a huge asset to have Keith on board because he’s very good at these cross-country races and gets a good tune out of the horses.

“There was a little concern as Stumptown has been around Punchestown a few times now and is very good at the banks and it is a different discipline here with the hedges. We were hoping that he would take to it and he’s taken to it well.

“We said we’d try it at the Punchestown Festival as we thought the handicapper had hit his max and it seems to have brought around a new lease of life for him. It’s unbelievable – he’s grown legs for it.”

Returning to Cheltenham for the Festival is an obvious target and Cromwell will also now consider a crack at the Grand National.

He added: “That (Grand National) would definitely be on the agenda.

“We thought we’d try the cross-country route with Vanillier too as he’s getting a little bit older and he seemed to enjoy it, so he could come back here for the cross-country at the Festival as well.”

Luke Scott could not contain his delight after a bold front-running ride aboard Mirabad paid off in the Catesby Estates Handicap Hurdle at Cheltenham.

The five-year-old, who is trained by Dr Richard Newland and Jamie Insole, was a 10-1 chance in a competitive field of 14 and wasted little time in establishing a significant lead.

He was still a long way clear as he rounded the home turn and while a few of his rivals, including the 4-1 favourite Wreckless Eric, attempted to bridge the gap, Mirabad’s lead ultimately proved unassailable, with Scott saluting the crowd as he passed the post with five and a half lengths in hand.

“That was amazing, I didn’t expect him to stay there (in front),” said Scott.

“He’s a horse that has such a high cruising speed, I was almost inconveniencing him trying to settle him in behind. Once he got into a rhythm out in front, I still expected to stop turning in, but I looked up at the big screen and saw we were 10 or 15 lengths clear and I thought ‘I’ve still got plenty underneath me here’ and he kept going.

“It’s an amazing feeling, you dream of riding winners here throughout your childhood and to be given the opportunity to ride one with a decent chance in one of these better handicaps is amazing.

“It’s a feeling that’s unrivalled, I think.”